Drilling is a spectrum that ranges from the 2-inch backyard water well to drilled shafts dozens of inches in diameter that can support the world’s largest structures. John A. “Jack” Hayes, PE, D.I.C., is an expert in the latter. A founder and former president of Loadtest, Hayes is a widely recognized authority on Osterberg cell (O-cell) testing, a method of evaluating the integrity of piles.
Hayes’ expertise earned him the honor of delivering the Deep Foundations Institute’s 2018 Osterberg Memorial Lecture. The lecture bears the name of the inventor of the O-cell, Dr. Jorj O. Osterberg. Every year, the lecture is delivered by an industry veteran who, like Osterberg, has made valuable contributions to engineering design, testing or education in the field of deep foundations.